MTech courses are set for a major overhaul in engineering colleges in the State. The A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) has decided to bring programmes offered by affiliated colleges under a single framework as opposed to the existing practice of its 10 regional clusters offering 123 MTech courses having diverse syllabi. In addition, MOOCs (massive open online courses) and internships will become integral components of the curriculum.
The reforms were approved by the university’s Board of Governors recently on the basis of recommendations put forth by the Academic Council and the Syndicate.
Currently, graduate committees of each cluster that are led by the ‘lead college’ are tasked with syllabus formation, examination and evaluation of the courses. Replacing the existing cluster structure, a unified system of conducting MTech courses will come into being from the upcoming academic year onwards to bring MTech courses under the direct purview of the university.
Classroom sessions will be restricted to the first two semesters of the two-year course. The second year will involve MOOC courses, industry-related internships, and projects. At the completion of the second semester, students will be required to choose from two tracks – the first will lead to a regular MTech degree, while the second will enable students to pursue higher education, research and entrepreneurship. The second track will, however, be open to only those students who manage to secure a minimum cumulative grade of 8.5 as well as a GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) score. These students will also be required to publish a journal article in the third semester.
At least 12 credits
The 123 MTech programmes offered by KTU-affiliated colleges will be divided into 75 groups, each of which will have its own core and elective subjects in addition to the main topics that are relevant to the respective specialisation. Out of a total 68 credits, students will be required to obtain 18 credits each in the first two semesters and 16 each in the other two. Importantly, students can enroll for the third semester only if they earn at least 12 credits in the first semester. Students will be permitted to avail a leave of absence for two semesters during the course.
With the courses envisaged to focus on industry, research and entrepreneurship, the syllabi will include project-based practical studies and industry visits, experiential studies, studies based on data published in international journals, compulsory industry-related internships, mini-projects and industry-related elective topics. Skill development training will also be mandatory.
In addition to the examinations conducted at the end of each semester, individual performances of each student will be assessed throughout the course duration. University examinations, which will be held for core subjects that require classroom study, will account for only 15 credits. Forty out of the 100 marks in the core subject will be scored through internal assessment. Of these, 20 marks are for the mini-project, 10 for seminar and oral examination, and another 10 for college-level examinations. The remaining 60 marks will be awarded in the university examination.
